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This blog will mainly focus on crime in and around Southwest Missouri....Winner Of Springfield Blogger's Association: ROOKIE BLOG OF THE YEAR 2009--WINNER News or Current Events Blog Of The Year 2010
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A man from Berryville, Arkansas, who killed Christopher Helmlinger last year in order to assume his identity to hide from authorities will spend the rest of his life in prison.

Evin Davis Jr., pleaded guilty to first degree murder to escape the death penalty for the death of twenty four year-old Helmlinger. As part of the plea agreement with prosecutors Davis's wife, Melissa, was placed on probation for ten years for her involvement in the young mans murder.

The last time that Chris Helmlinger was seen alive was on September 27, 2009, when he left his mother's house after church.

On October 18th, 2009, a resident of the Glen Echos trailer park discovered a "strange mound" of dirt with a shovel nearby and called police. Helmlinger was found three weeks to the day he went missing buried in the shallow grave, he had been shot once in the head.

During the course of the investigation into Helmlinger's murder, investigators discovered that a man by the name of Charles Hedstrom spent a lot of time with Helmlinger while the two worked together at Tyson.

Christopher Lance Helmlinger

The night that Helmlinger's body was discovered, Hedstrom and his family packed up and left town. Witnesses also told detectives that Hedstrom had been seen in the area where Helmlinger's body was found with a shovel.

When authorities started delving into Hedstrom's past, they discovered that the man was actually Evin Davis, and he was wanted in Missouri. Police caught up with Davis' wife, Melissa Davis, when she went to pick up her last paycheck.

Melissa Irene Davis mug shot

At first Melissa Davis refused to tell authorities where they would find her husband. She was charged with hindering apprehension....a few days later prosecutors charged her with capital murder by accessory.

Evin Davis turned himself into authorities in McAllen, Texas after he learned of his wife's arrest.

Shortly before his murder a woman who attended Helmlinger's church gave him $5,000 because she thought he had potential to become a minister and, "because God told her to."

During a victim impact statement at Davis' sentencing, Helmlinger's mother told the court that her son was a wonderful Christian who was friends with everybody. She said she, too, is a Christian and forgives Davis and prays for him and his family.